Automobile-body construction



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AUTOMOBILE BODY CONSTRUCUION. APPLICATION FILED SEPT.26, l9l9.

1,377,167. l Patented May 3,1921.

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Arm/Mr UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

- WILLIAM CHARLES CUNNINGHAM, or New Yoan, N. Y., AssIeNon To ADAMs. WILLIAMS MFG. conroItA'rIoN, or Niiw Troma'l N. LA consommer; all

New You.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. CUNNING- HAM, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of'New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile-Body Constructions, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improvement 1 n that type of automobile body construction in which readily movable panels are provided for closing-the space between the upper edge of the body wal and the edge of the top to convertl the vehicle into one of open or closed type, at will. The invention relates articularly to the construction employed or rigidly but detachably securln the lower edge of the panel to the body. of my invention is to provide a simple inexpensive device, eiiicient in operation, inconspicuous in appearance, easy to operate, and readily installed, particularly on bodies of the open or touring car type.

The invention may be employed in connection with any or all of the panels but is particularly useful for securing the panels to the swinging wall sections or doors of the body where the panel has no support or brace for its upper edge when the door is open. It may of coursel be employed for the panels carried by the stationary wall sections where the upper edges of the panels may engage with or be secured to the rigld or folding top.

Theusual automobile door includes a wood frame or body part and a sheet metal covering for at least the outer sideand upper l receiving such lugs and rigidly clamping.x

edge. The panel which I desire to secure to this upper edge and in the plane of the door has a transparent body portion and a rigid frame presenting depending lugs 1n its own plane adapted to enter and be secured within corresponding sockets carried by or formed in the door. Various devices and constructions havel been proposed for them and the panel in place.

By means of my improved construction,

. in its preferred form, I avoid the use of' any molding strip or other part u pstandng from or proJecting above the bo y edge; I cut away the frame of the door and correspondev ingly weaken it to the minimum extent; I

Specification of Letters Patent;

he main object dicated by the line 2-2 of Fig. 4.

AUTOMOBILE-BODY CONSTItUCTION. y

Patented May 3, 1921.

Application ined samenwer 2s, i919. Aserial No. 326,502.

y moved; and I secure the requisite strength parts projecting mate-V without the use of rially from or marring Athe appearance of the outer or inner surface of the door. In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention.

In these drawings Figurel 1s a perspective view of a portion of -a vehicle bodywith the door open and the panels in position.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section o`n a Fig. 3 is a transverse section on a plane indicated by the line'3-3 of Fig. 4, and

Figs: 4 and 5 are fragmentar elevations of the inner and outer surface o the door in the v1cin1t v of the clamping means.

I have illustrated my invention in connection with an automobile body having a stationarywall section 10 and a movable wall section or door 11, each carrying a removable panel including a glass or other transparent body portion 12 anda rigid metal frame 13. The frame of each panel presents or includes a pair of depending lugs 14 rigid therewith and in the same plane. Each wall section of the automobilebody and particularlvthe movable wall section or door 11 includes a wood frame or body part 15 and a sheet metal covering or casing 16. This latter covers the outer surface of the door frame and prefer- -ably the upper edge thereof as shown particularly in Fig. 2 and may or may not cover the inner surface.

As previouslystated, my invention is particularly adapted for use in connection with For effectively clamping the lugs within the plane insockets I girovide a plate 19 upon the inner.

surface o the vehicle wall opposite to each socket. Each plate 19 has apertures therethrough for three threaded'members and is of a width somewhat greater than the width of the corresponding socket and lug 14 so threaded sockets 21 receiving the bolts. The

. bolts 2O are shown as having comparatively wide flat heads which engage with the outer sheet metal casing 16 but projecting beyond the latter to only a very slight extent. The coacting threaded parts 16 extend through the plates 19 and receive the ends of the bolts. These also have comparatively wide flat heads, although if desired, they may be countersunk into the plate 19. Either the member 20 or the member 21 has its head slotted, so that it may be rotated by means of a screw driver or other suitable tool while the other member is held against rotation and the plate 19 andthe sheet metal casing 16 drawn toward each other and effectively clamped to hold the parts in position and prevent any tendency of the plate 19 to pull away during the tightening of the lug clamp and to resist any tendency of the members 16 and 21 Afrom se arating.

he third threaded member which extends through the plate 19 is in the form of a and isposed in the aperture 18 wit its inner end movable into or out of the socket 17 to engage with and clamp the lug against the opposite side of the socket. Any suitable means may be employed for tightening or loosening this clamping member. have an outer enlar ed head whereby'it may be readily tightene or loosened by grasping the end between the thumb and lingers or the clamping membermay terminate within or project to' only a slight extent be 4ond the plate 19- and may have its outer en adapted to receive a key 23 shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 or any other suitable member for rotating the clamping member.

For giving the construction a more omamental appearance, renforcing the socket, and covering the edges of the casing around the upper end of the socket, I preferably 'provide a socket liner or socket member 24. his may be made of metal of such size as to form a driving fit in the socket and have a chamber reeciving the lug with a comparatively loose t so that the panel may be readily placed in losition or removed when the clamping mem- Itiers 22 are loosened. It is not essentialthat the lower end of the socket liner be closed as such member may be of general tubular form open at the upper and lower ends. The upper end is preferably Banged over to cover and clamping screw 22, threaded in the late 19,

It may protect the ed .members are clamped together away or break down the wood in which the socket is formed. It will also be noted that no change whatever is' necessary in the construction of thedoor in applying any imp roved construction thereto, except the cutting of the necessary apertures and that such weakening as results from this cuttingis more than com ensated for by the' reinforcement provided y the arts added thereto. The device isalppl'icab e to doors of various different thic nesses as the connecting members 20 and 21 provide for a considerable range of adJustinent and the clamping member 22 has a considerable range of movement due to the increased thickness of the plate at the center portion where the threaded aperture is formed therethrough. No great accuracy 1s required in the exact positioning of the socket so far as its spacin Abetween the opposite surfaces of the wood rame is concerned as the clamping member will act eliciently irrespective of considerable variation in the distance between the socket and the plate 19. It will also be noted that the socket may be formed parallel to the planes of the opposite surfaces of the door or may be cut in at an desired angle to give the panel a tilt inward y or outwardly. Such a tilt is often desirable or necessary to make the upper edge of the panel properly engage with the vehicle top when the door is closed. The parts of the device are very simplel in construction and they are vvery easily applied by comparativel unskilled workmen. The only parts vxsib e from the outside of the car are the comparatively flat heads of the bolts 20 and these may be painted or enameled the same vas the outer surface of the vehicle body. so

inconspicuous.

that they are comparativeiiy l to only a very The plates 19 project inwar slight extent and the socket liners do not decasing, a socket member in the upper edge of the framel and open at the top, a plate on the side of the wall section opposite to said sheet metal casing, connecting members extending through said frame upon opposite sides of said socket member and preventing separa tion of said plate and casing, and a clamping member carried by said plate and projecting throu h the Wall of said socket member.

2. vehicle body having a Wall section including a frame with a socket cut into the upper edge thereof and a sheet metal casing upon the outer side thereof, a plate on the inner side of the Wall section, connection members upon opposite sides of said socket and preventing separation of said plate and casing, and a clamping member carried by said plate and projecting into said socket.

8. A vehicle body having a Wall section, including a Wood frame, with a socket in the upper edge thereof, a plate on the inner side of the Wall section opposite to said socket, means for securing said plate in position including -tWo pairs of threaded members, one member of each pair having a comparatively lat head engaging With the outer side of the frame, and the other member of each pair engaging With said plate, and a clamping member carried by said plate and having a portion projecting into said socket.

4. A vehicle body, having a Wall section including a Wood frame and a .sheet metal outer casing, a tubular socket member inserted Within the upper edge of the frame, a plate upon the inner surface of said frame 'and secured to the latter upon opposite sides o f said socket member, and a clamping screw carried by Said plate and having one end projectirg into said socket` member.

5. vehicle body Wall section, including a Wood frame and a sheet metal outer casing, and rovided with a socket extending down War ly into the upper edge of the section and through said casing into said frame, a plate secured to one outer surface of the section and anchored to the sheet metal casing upon the opposite surface, and a clamping member carried by said plate and projecting into said socket.

6. A vehicle body Wall section, including a Wood frame with a pair of sockets cut into the upper edge thereof, a sheet metal covering for the opposite surfaces and top of said frame, a pair of separate plates upon the outer surface of the covering of the latter ,opposite said sockets and independently se- New York and State of New York, this 17th day of September, A. D. 1919.

WILLIAM CHARLES CUNNINGHAM. 

